Durant in Tears After Defeat

June 22, 2012

AP Photo

Kevin Durant walked off the court and into his mom's arms. He stood there, all 6-foot-whatever of him seemingly folded in half, sobbing in the embrace of his parents as the Miami Heat's championship celebration thundered down the tunnel behind them. In these swollen-eye moments – mother consoling child – it's easy to remember Durant and so many of the Oklahoma City Thunder are still so young. No one buys you a snow cone after you lose the NBA Finals, and Durant let the emotion wash over him.

Tears dried, head held high, Durant walked out of the arena about an hour later. His innocence had given way to the cool detachment of a man who knew where he was headed. He would be back, if not here in Miami, then Chicago, Boston. Somewhere. Durant didn't exit the Finals stage for good. This week – this championship – belonged to LeBron James, but ...